"Parents residing in North London wants to find an remarkable and experienced instructor to assist their youngest child on his initial journey to turning into an British gentleman."
Upon seeing this post, you might easily overlook the wording "initial stages" as simple figurative language.
However, it could be the most important element of this unique job advert, as it attempts to find a mentor for a one-year-old.
Many of responses have now been received since the unidentified family published their call for the highly paid tutor, who has to be "an exceptional individual".
During the past few weeks, the post has received notice in the media, with many questioning why?
Innovative Idea
A tutoring expert, chief executive of an education consultancy, which is helping the family in their search, said that despite first skepticism, he considered the plan "visionary", and "advanced".
When he met the family, he noted they recognized the atypical nature of their requirement, and how young their son is.
Nevertheless, they explained that they "preferred not to postpone any longer" to engage a tutor, as they had waited until their firstborn was five, and by that point "cultural influence had by then taken hold".
What precisely did the family indicate by "cultural leaning"?
It's "everything", Adam replied. "The way you eat, the way you speak".
He explained the older sibling had adopted "very nuanced, unspoken signals" from the family, and had taken on their cultural norms. The family informed him they hoped to prevent the same situation to repeat itself with their younger child.
The strategy: To engage a British tutor, who needs to speak with Received Pronunciation, to guide the baby right from the beginning.
Subtle Influence
"A lot of the education at the beginning here is rather absorbed naturally," explained the CEO.
It's via this natural absorption that the family are expecting the child will adopt the British traits they aim to instil.
The consultant said the tutor had to be an individual who went to "the right kinds of schools – comparable categories of schools as the family aspire to send their son to".
"The educator just has to be the suitable individual, they'll be carrying out things they don't even know they're doing, simply by nature," he added.
Expense Not a Factor
The family informed the expert the chosen tutor should ideally also have understanding of or interest in riding, winter sports, artistic pursuits and music so as to influence the child in a diverse set of hobbies.
Additionally though, he explained the family desired the tutor to sign up the child on a range of lessons so the child would be "horseback riding and learning an tool by the time they are around three years old".
In the family's view, guiding their son grow into a "UK sophisticate" will result in accomplishment and provide access.
"Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of that, because it's undoubtedly a social class indicator," he notes.
However, in spite of all this instruction in "UK identity", could the child adopt what is termed cultural influence from the multicultural family he is raised by anyway?
"Yes", said he. "They understand this might not succeed, but they've merely embraced the view of, 'let's give it a go and we'll proceed as soon as we can', because the price of it is not relevant," he explained.
Overly Optimistic
There are some in the tutoring industry who express those concerns.
Peter Cui, CEO and founder of Blue Education, who provides personal educators, stated that "the process of adopting dual cultures, or indeed, discovering oneself, is something that must be experienced personally, not manufactured."
The expert explained that he had moved from China to the United Kingdom at the time of 7 years old, and had been educated understanding and living two backgrounds. He progressed to learn at the University of Cambridge.
"The idea that a single person can function as a living vessel of UK identity, someone who can in some way impart the characteristics of a English gentleman to a one-year-old child, seems to me optimistic and unfeasible," he stated.
"In my experience, employing a quintessentially UK tutor from infancy will does not instantly achieve the outcome they want.
"I did not have such a tutor, and however I have been privileged enough to enjoy several of the situations they aspire for their son."
He added: "The truth is, cultural identity can not be dictated from the outside; it must be chosen, and it must come from within."
Purchasing UK Culture
Naturally, English culture is something Adam hopes can be taught – and commercialized.
"I think the reality that the world views us in this regard is something that we should be cherishing|valuing|appreciating
